I must admit that I started and ended the year pretty stressed, but I also gratefully realize that this year has been a time to grow and stretch and learn. (New Year's Eve on Saturday has helped me focus and regroup and prepare as I prepare for the Sabbath--it's kind of my favorite way to celebrate.)
I began the year conducting Primary (for some reason this terrified me) and also teaching a physical geography class at Ensign College (this was overwhelming, but so great). These were wonderful chances to learn. I was blessed by the children's and students' desire to learn and ability to teach. These experiences helped me remember the simple and beautiful truths of the gospel in the Old Testament and in geography!
I'm grateful to be reminded how much I love geography! It forced me to study the specifics of a number of things that I'd forgotten, ;) It made me even more grateful for the beauty and wonder of this world and our Heavenly Father's creations. Just as President Nelson has found beauty in understanding the divine laws that govern the body, I found again great beauty in understanding the divine laws that govern the physical geography of our world. It's incredible! There is order and purpose and majesty, even amidst challenges and disasters.
It was great to spend time with humble children and to be in a classroom with students eager to learn, and also increase their faith in God and their understanding of His creations. It was a lot of work, but quite rewarding. I'm grateful for the wonderful opportunity to learn new knowledge and skills, gain confidence, and practice thinking and teaching and helping others learn, as well as having the chance to bear my testimony often of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the goodness of God. "All things denote there is a God!"
I also enjoyed working at the Draper Temple on Saturdays. I saw miracles and blessings and felt a lot of joy in serving and spending so much time in this sacred place of peace. With these commitments, it was harder to find time to hike and travel, but I did keep up on walks and study groups with friends and phone calls and some great visits with family!
I had a sweet experience in August where answers to prayers and fasting for direction were answered unexpectedly with an invitation to serve and grow in a new way. I've stopped working at the temple and teaching for now to focus on getting to know the remarkable women in my neighborhood. I have a lot to learn, but I have been uplifted by their goodness. A few weeks later, I was asked to be part of a writing committee that should be another challenging but strengthening opportunity. I hope to get back to working at the temple and teaching again someday, but for now I'm grateful for new chances to grow.
I'm still working on finding the right balance and boundaries. Life is busy and hard, but purposeful. I'm grateful for chances to forget myself and to rely on the Lord.
Here are a few other highlights from 2022:
- some Spanish (Duolingo is great; in about 45 hours, I learned over 3000 words!)
- the importance of the scientific method, good information and sources, latitude/longitude, map projections, point of view, plate tectonics, the rock cycle, volcanoes and earthquakes, weathering and mass wasting, water and coastlines and ocean basins, atmosphere and weather, climate and climate change, and the effects of physical geography on ancient civilizations
- the importance of awe and wonder and appreciation for the world that testifies of God's goodness
- be sure to see the flowers of Snow Canyon in April
- hike, walk, move, get outside
- read, study, think, learn, try to understand new things, seek truth, and share the good
- enjoy flowers, clouds, rainbows, leaves
- go to the temple
- take vacation days
- find a new trail and do all the old favorites, too (maybe a couple of times)
- spend time with family
- focus on people and relationships
- be patient
- be there
- serve
- enjoy each season
- hike in the rain
- keep friendships
- appreciate and take opportunities
- notice progress
- listen
- get to know someone new
- think of what someone else might need
- ask for help
- be humble
- be kind
- learn from children
- walk on the beach, listen to the waves, relax
- remember where you're from
- appreciate others and express gratitude
- follow the Spirit
- do something fun
- trust in the Lord; He will be with you and help you
- when you're willing, the Lord will magnify your abilities and multiply your time
- we grow and are blessed and find joy when we serve
- make sacrifices
- don't be too hard on yourself or others
- work hard, do your best
- rest and take care of yourself
I'm still the obnoxious sister that calls too much, but I'm grateful for each family member and all that they teach me and enjoy any chance I have to talk to or be with my family. I'm glad I got to see most of them this year. I missed one sister-in-law and four nephews, but I'm grateful that we've got a date on the calendar in 2023 that we'll all be together! Walks and hikes with friends and family, as well as Come, Follow Me study groups and sealing sessions continue to be a blessing. Relationships are important and I want to work harder at making the most important relationships a bigger part of my life.
Traveling
I was grateful to do a little bit of traveling this year. Here are some of the highlights:
- The office - Construction continues right outside my windows on Temple Square this year. It has been fun to observe the progress, but I can't wait to see the tulips again someday and be able to walk around the block without having to walk around three! I was grateful to be back on Trax some to avoid traffic, save on gas, and read more books. ;)
- The mountains - I love the mountains and enjoyed time at some favorite spots and a few new ones: Albion Basin, Cecret Lake, Catherine Pass, Gloria Falls, Lake Blanche, Dog Lake, Desolation Lake, Willow Heights Lake, Lake Mary, Ensign Peak, the Suspension Bridge, the Draper trails, the Lanikai Bunker, the Ehukai pillbox, Laniakea and Ke'Iki and Banzai and Ehukai and Sunset beaches, Johnson Canyon, the Petrified Dunes and Lava Tube areas of Snow Canyon, the Vortex, Red Cliffs, Paradise Rim, Kolob Canyon, White Pine Lake (near Tony Grove), Taggart Lake, Bradley Lake, String Lake, Table Mountain, Skyline Trail (at Mount Rainier), Silver Falls (at the Ohanapecosh River), Silver Falls State Park near Salem, Oregon, Mount Hood, Trilium Lake, Indian Beach and Hug Point.
- Hawaii - It was really fun to be in Hawaii for a week in May with my parents and siblings and their spouses (- Megan + Lia) to celebrate Cari's 40th birthday! I got to know the North Shore a little bit better and loved time in the old familiar spots to relax. There is something so rejuvenating about island life. ;)
- Wyoming - I love the Tetons! It was nice to spend a couple of days at the end of July hiking with my dad, first in Tony Grove (to White Pine Lake) and then the Tetons (Taggart, Bradley, and String Lakes) and halfway to Table Mountain before a stop at the new Pocatello Idaho Temple on the way home.
- Washington / Oregon - It was so nice to spend Labor Day weekend in Washington and Oregon with my parents and Josh's family. We hiked the Skyline trail at Mount Rainier, Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, Mount Hood area near Trilium Lake, Indian Beach and Hug Point. It was nice to see Josh and Kirsten's cute neighborhood and be in the Pacific Northwest again.
- St. George - I enjoyed three trips to St. George this year for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I loved seeing the flowers blooming in Snow Canyon in April, the fall leaves near Johnson Canyon in November, and finding the Vortex in December. It was mostly just nice to spend time with my parents! :)
This year I loved reading and studying the Old Testament. It was such a blessing to learn about God's love for His children since the very beginning. He has a plan. We are His children. This earth was created for us as a place to learn and grow and prove ourselves so that we can return to Him. Our covenants with Him bind us to Him forever.
- The first time through I studied about God's handiwork and creations. It's beautiful to see how important the earth is to our Heavenly Father's work--the wilderness, the heavens, precious lands, waters and waves, manna, deserts, rocks, beasts, fowls, seasons, bodies, nations, kindreds, tongues, mountains, fruit, vineyards, thorns, islands, stars, whirlwinds, lightning, fire, branches, roots, pruning, digging, ball or director, interpreters, hills, flocks, seeds, plates, grain, ground, every creature, fields, herds, famine, flood, disease, glory, noise, shaking, works, animals, seashore, planets, trees, life, rivers, clouds, signs and wonders, dust, movement, quaking, great lights, sun, valleys, light, dark, storm and tempests, wind, lilies, elements, heat, change, fish, rain, sheep, ore, tilling the land, plains, gifts. "All things denote there is a God... [and] witness that there is a Supreme Creator" (Alma 30:44). The "dust of the earth moveth... at the command of our great and everlasting God" (Helaman 12:8). While He commands the elements, He sends wind to blow to the promised land, provides directors, sends manna, tells us to look for the fruit and teaches us how to make it grow. There are so many beautiful lessons in studying the handiwork of God.
- The second time through I spent time studying all that the Book of Mormon teaches about leadership. I'm still working on this one, but there are so many wonderful lessons to learn directly from the Lord and His prophets and other righteous leaders and individuals, as well as bad examples from others.
In addition to this study, I read 95 books. Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order, but roughly most to least recent):
- Spiritually Anchored in Unsettled Times by Bruce C. Hafen
- Of One Heart by Neal A. Maxwell
- Let's Talk about Religion and Mental Health by Daniel K. Judd
- He Will Give You Rest by Gaye Strathearn
- The Washington D.C. Temple by Dale Van Atta
- Let Your Light Shine by Bonnie H. Cordon
- A Woman's Place by Lynn Austin
- Learning to Love Isaiah by Kerry Muhlstein
- Code Talker by Chester Nez
- Original Grace by Adam S. Miller
- From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks
- Exploring the Apocrypha by Jared Ludlow
- The Law of Love by Steve Young
- Boldly, Nobly, and Independent: Saints, Volume 3
- The Strength of His Hand by Lynn Austin
- To Cheer and To Bless by Deseret Book
- Far Above Rubies by Tammy U. Hall
- Ascending the Mountain of the Lord by David R. Seely
- The Holy Covenants by Anthony Sweat
- Song of Redemption by Lynn Austin
- I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
- Trust and Inspire by Stephen M. R. Covey
- The Genius Under the Table by Eugene Yelchin
- Grace To Become by Emily Freeman
- The Golden Son by Shilpi S. Gowda
- Old Testament Insights: The Sacrifice of a Broken Heart by Mary Jane Woodger
- Approaching Holiness by David R. Seely
- Everyday Disciples by Taylor Ricks
- Covenant of Compassion by Sperry Symposium
- Longitude by Dava Sobel
- Finding Christ in the Covenant Path by Jennifer C. Lane
- All the Way to Heaven by David Grandy
- Lighten Up by Chieko Okazaki
- The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
- The Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson
- Impact Players by Liz Wiseman
- Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin
- Come Unto Me by Brad Wilcox
I've had some unique and stretching service opportunities this year.
- Temples - I served as an ordinance worker at the Draper Temple from January through August, most of that time serving as an assistant coordinator, which was a sweet opportunity to get to know the sisters on my shift and learn and teach and testify of the blessings of the temple and its ordinances and covenants. It gave me a new appreciation for all that's involved in keeping a temple running, the importance of training, and the special privilege of serving in the temple. I don't think there's a better calling in the church or place where you can see more miracles happen, large and small. There are so many blessings and so much power in our covenants that bind us to Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for the opportunity to spend so much time there. I miss the consistent extended hours there, but still enjoy my weekly appointments to serve, especially doing sealings monthly with friends. I added one new temple to the list this year (Pocatello Idaho) and returned to a few that I love (especially Laie Hawaii).
- Church - I started the year serving in the Primary presidency which was a sweet blessing. I learned to know and love the children. They helped me gain some confidence and focus on the simple and joyful truths of the gospel. Their spontaneous testimonies in word and action were such a blessing to me! I also got to attend baptisms and enjoy time with them on the temple grounds learning of the importance of the blessings of the temple. We also got to figure out how to combine our Primary with a neighboring ward's, which was an interesting opportunity and a great blessing to our children so that they have more friends to support them. In September, I received a new calling serving in Relief Society and have already been blessed as I've tried to get to know many of the sisters. We have a unique demographic in our ward and I'm grateful for each sister who adds so much to our community and ward family.
